


Beyond Spotlights

by shinealightrose



Series: Spotlights [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Bonus Scenes, Compilation Stories, M/M, Romance, Sequel Series, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-23 09:52:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4872328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinealightrose/pseuds/shinealightrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of proposed spin-offs to my epic chaptered fic, Between Spotlights. I recommend you read that first or else you'll spoil the story for yourself. Note: This is not a sequel! These will only be additional scenes from the Spotlights universe that take place either during or after the scope of that fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bonus #1 Taohun

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus #1 Taohun | Rated: PG

There’s a cat on his head. That’s the first thing Tao realizes when he comes to. A soft, fuzzy cat suffocating him with her tail, and a pale streak of morning light through the mini blinds above the kitchen sink. He fell asleep on the couch again, watching TV probably, and if it was any other time of the year and not summer break, he’d be alarmed by this.

As it is though, it doesn’t matter if Tao sleeps in. He can sleep in as long as he wants to. He can stay up as late as he wants to, and he can blast the TV almost as much as he wants to - at least not loud enough to bother the neighbors into calling their landlord. But primarily it’s because the company is off for a month, plus Tao has the run of the apartment because Baekhyun is gone to Texas with his boyfriend, and Tao can finally relax and just be himself. 

He remembers throwing a sleeping bag over the couch and cozying up with a bag of chips and a couple sodas. He doesn’t remember turning the TV off though. And currently, it’s firmly set in the off position.

“Morning,” says a lazy voice from behind Tao’s head.

Tao startles and looks frantically about, his cat Velvet goes flying off in a fit of indignation.

“Sehun?” he says, and then yawns, because as long as it’s not a burglar, then Tao doesn’t really care.

“Yep.”

“What are you… doing here?” He yawns again.

“I came because I thought you said you wanted to do something today. Instead I got here and found you passed out like a drunkard. It’s noon! I’m bored. And hungry.”

Sehun has had a spare key ever since Tao gave him one at the beginning of the summer, specifically for days like this because with both of their friends gone, and everyone else in the company scattered about, there’s no one else for the two of them to hang out with.

“Did you turn off the TV?” Tao asks, as he starts to untangle himself from the zipped-up sleeping bag and not make a fool of himself by falling to the ground still inside. He did that last week, but fortunately nobody but his cat saw it. 

“After I watched a couple hours of morning talk shows.”

“You’ve been here that long?!”

Sehun laughs and tosses the remote across the room. He’s been lounging in a recliner, his feet up and relaxed and he looks completely cozy. “Nah, not that long. Just half an hour. Long enough to hear you talking in your sleep.” Sehun puts up a haughty  _come at me, bro_  face.

Tao hums disinterestedly, still playing with the zipper before he finally gets it lined up just right. He slides it halfway down, paying almost no attention to Sehun’s claim.

“I don’t talk in my sleep.”

“Ohh, someone’s grumpy.” 

“It’s called waking up,” Tao yawns, acting halfway annoyed but not really. That is until he sits up properly on the couch, tosses his legs off and goes to stand up. He suddenly remembers he’s barely dressed. Just a thin cotton shirt and one of his oldest boxers. And Sehun is still staring at him, although playfully.

It could be worse, Tao thinks. He could have been in briefs. Instead, his underwear is just a faded shade of blue, a little ragged but the elastic is still holding up. He pretends Sehun is just a nobody, as he gets up and walks by his friend and pointedly doesn’t make eye contact with the face that really seems like it’s staring at his ass. 

“I thought you always wore designer drawers. What’s the matter? No clean laundry?”

So Sehun was staring at his ass after all. 

“Something like that!” he calls from inside his room, frantically looking for the latest pair of not-filthy jeans to cover himself up. “You know I only called you over so I had someone to talk to when I go to the laundry mat!” he teases. 

Sehun scoffs, loudly so that even Tao can hear it when enters his bathroom to throw water over his face. 

“Date at the laundry mat! Woo hoo!” 

At some point, Tao will learn not to let every little thing Sehun does or say get to him. He knows Sehun says things like that just to joke; Tao’s known him for long enough to know. They became friends out of necessity because of Baekhyun and Kai, eventually became friends on their own right, and Tao’s not going to lie when he says it’s fun to pretend and joke about the two of them when it’s in front of their acquaintances. Baekhyun gives him so much grief over it already, and Sehun’s reactions are always priceless. A little too overdone, but that’s all part of the fun.

If ever they end up sitting closer than might be considered normal, the others tease. If they end up going out alone for whatever reason, the others tease them. It fuels their friendship really, even to such lengths that Sehun will playfully hold his hand if he thinks it will make Baekhyun laugh. Sometimes it’s Tao who initiates just a hint of skinship because over time it becomes less of a source for Sehun to be uncomfortable, and now it’s just a shared joke. 

When nobody is around though… that’s when it makes Tao uncomfortable. Because they still joke around but now there’s no audience, and Tao doesn’t know what they’re even playing at. It’s like his friend has an off switch that conveniently forgets Tao is gay and Sehun is actually not.  And ever since it’s been only them, two weeks now and counting, their relationship is only growing more tense. Although perhaps it’s only Tao who notices it. 

He has a tendency to overthink things, and then to pretend that he’s not. Ever since he was burned by Kris, and probably even for years before that, he’s learned to be wary. Straight men can be the worst, especially those who were actually used to being around guys like Tao. They overplay their confidence, work extra hard to not come across homophobic, and so the atmosphere becomes light. Too light. Sometimes too fake. And sometimes the lines between fake and play become blurred by… something else. 

“I’m starving. Don’t you have anything to eat in this place?”

Sehun is judging the contents of his empty refrigerator when Tao comes back into the living room, now properly dressed. 

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I haven’t done much recently. No laundry, no groceries.”

“Yeah, this is pretty lame. Want to get breakfast at the diner?”

Tao hesitates, namely because that place still makes him feel a little uncomfortable. On the other hand though it’s cheap, fast, and right around the corner, and Tao is good at pretending a lot of things are alright. Like how attractive he thinks Sehun truly is, and how that never makes his head spin a little. Not at all. 

 

 

 

 

 

Several hours later as they sit side-by-side on top of a swirling washing machine, Tao wishes again that Sehun had learned to keep up some boundaries. The part of life where Tao actually has a friend who will follow him around and keep him company during even the boring, mundane tasks of life is alright. Eating food, complaining about cold coffee, carrying a bag and a basket of laundry a few blocks away - Sehun is good companion material. They’re both bored and have nothing better to do, and as Tao’s laundry cycles and rinses and dries, they both have their phones to occupy themselves. Sehun is deep into a game for which it’s very important that he doesn’t lose focus, else his home base will be destroyed, while Tao laughs over texts from Baekhyun about the blistering Texas heat and how Kai is a horrible patient and refuses to do what Baekhyun tells him to.

And all the while they sit next to each other, a laundry basket crowding Tao’s left hip, and absolutely nothing except the floor on Sehun’s right. He keeps the hand not holding his phone low around Tao’s waist so he doesn’t fall off, torsos practically glued together, and Tao thinks it’s rather nice. If it meant something.

Ten minutes of chatting with Baekhyun in between checking online sports scores and entertainment news though, and Sehun doesn’t seem like he’s ever going to detach himself. Not even when he starts cursing and yelling about enemy giants, fuming in huffs and sighing and groaning. 

“Ugh, they got so much of my gold,” he complains finally, as he shuts down his phone’s light-up screen with a furious punch of his thumb. 

“Are you sure that’s a stress relieving game?” Tao asks him, confused.

“Huh? Oh well, sometimes.” 

Sehun sighs again, asks how long the dryer has to go and tips his head so that he’s resting on Tao’s shoulder, fingers still digging into Tao’s belt loop as an anchor. 

Tao doesn’t make a face out of long, natural habit, even though his right side is overheating; the ventilation in this room is already pretty bad, and then life has to go and add Sehun. He goes about checking his phone, noticing that Sehun has his eyes closed like he’s setting in for a long nap.

“Hey. Wake up.” Tao juts his shoulder up, knocking off Sehun’s head. 

“Why?” his friend asks disgruntled. 

“Because your head is heavy, your breath stinks, and your face is ugly.”

Sehun snorts. “My whole face is light as air, and beautiful. What’s your problem?” 

“I notice you don’t have a retort for your breath.” Tao smiles and Sehun bumps him with his still attached shoulder. Tao gulps, because the movement has his weight shifting on the slick surface of the machine. He knocks the laundry basket over a few inches, and to compensate falls closer to Sehun, who also holds on tighter so that he doesn’t fall off the edge either. 

The whole thing just makes them laugh, the comfortable sort of atmosphere that Tao enjoys most about being friends with Sehun. 

“Hey, smile,” Tao tells him, lifting his phone camera up over their heads and already starting to pose. 

Sehun obeys even before asking, “Who’s this for?” He holds up two fingers into the frame and grins cheekily. 

“Baekhyun,” says Tao. 

They lean even closer towards each other, like they haven’t been like this already,  Tao takes the picture, checks it, and then whips it off to his roommate in another part of the country.

“When are they coming back?” Sehun asks, as they both stare down at Tao’s phone waiting for the response.

“Dunno. I know Baekhyun has be be back before September, but I don’t know if Kai will be able to travel before then. You ought to know. Hasn’t he told you?”

“The only things Kai tells me about over the phone is how cute his puppy is. I don’t know if he means the dog or Baekhyun, and honestly I’m too scared to ask.” Sehun laughs. 

Tao’s phone lights up with Baekhyun’s reply, and it has both of them suddenly giggling, Sehun slightly more so than Tao.

 

_Baekhyun: You’re so gay. When’s the wedding?_

 

Sehun slaps his own thigh, oblivious to the fact that his other hand is now lodged between the hem of Tao’s jeans and inching upon skin. 

“Tell him, I saw that, and I’m not amused!”

Tao laughs. “Yeah but you are amused. What, you want me to lie?” 

 

_Tao: Sehun says thanks, he knows he’s cute, and we should probably be asking you that_

_Baekhyun: Don’t look at me. I’ve got an invalid over here. Ask Luhan first. I swear I caught him once looking at bridal magazines! hehehehe_

 

“Now that’s a disturbing thought,” says Sehun truthfully. “Luhan in a bridal gown.”

“I’m suddenly picturing him in a ball gown and tiara and a creepy smile and it’s making my teeth hurt.”

“Could be worse,” Sehun confesses. “I imagined a mermaid dress with a stuffed push-up bra.”

“What?! What is this brain of yours and why you do even know what that stuff is?”

Sehun looks offended at the attack on his imagination, actually ducking when Tao tries to pop him on the head. “Hey, don’t blame me! I was fourteen and harassed into being part of my cousin’s wedding party. I got to hear so many things that my brain was not ready for, okay?!”

Tao lets him off the hook with a warning scowl. “You know what’s probably disturbing,” he whispers instead, “is us. That man over that has been side-eyeing us for the last fifteen minutes.”

Sehun glances across the room, where sure enough a middle aged man is frowning, otherwise trying to avoid them in his line of sight.

“He probably just thinks you’re cute,” says Sehun mischievously. 

“He probably thinks you’re gay,” Tao retorts. 

“He probably thinks  _you’re_ gay.”

“Well then, he’s not that far off the mark.”

A tease like that shouldn’t make them turn silent, but it does. Sehun stares actively at the opposite line of washer units, and Tao stares back down at his blank phone screen. He probably doesn’t mean anything by it, but Sehun’s fingers twitch almost imperceptibly where they are still brushing against Tao’s bare waistline. He doesn’t remove them, however. Not even after Tao slowly inhales and exhales, trying to make the motion seem as normal as possible. Any second now he thinks, Sehun is going to realize what he’s doing, or realize how this looks, and because they don’t have an audience of any real consequence, he’ll let go and brush off the entire thing. And Tao will be left with nothing except one more missed chanced to look deeply into Sehun’s intentions. 

Tao is only right on one front though. Sehun does brush it off. He tosses his bangs to one side, checks his phone again to read his game clan’s message board, and then casually asks what Tao wants to do after they get done with laundry. 

What Tao isn’t prepared for is how Sehun’s hand disassembles itself from Tao’s belt loop, but instead of disappearing completely, Sehun only stretches his arm and holds on again, a little closer, a little tighter. 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun comes home a few weeks later, alone and miserable because, “Hello, I just spent like every waking moment for over a month with Kai and now I’m here, and he’s there, and I miss him!” 

Until the recovered surgery patient comes home, it is therefore Tao’s job to maintain Baekhyun’s bright mood, and it helps that Sehun is there too. In between renewed dance hours, the three of them crowd the little apartment, and Baekhyun hogs the TV remote and his special stash of coconut water. Sehun whines about having nothing to do until the fall semester starts and Tao chides him for being such a miserable, boring bum. 

“Wow, he really is whiny,” says Baekhyun one day after Sehun’s complained about not knowing what classes he wants to take next semester. He acts like the unknown is the biggest deal in the world and buries his head in the couch cushions behind Tao’s shoulder blades, half play-crying, half laughing.

“You think this is bad?” Tao teases him further for Baekhyun’s sake. “He’s been like this for weeks! You’ve missed the worst of it.”

Tao snickers and Sehun swats him with a stray hand that almost pops him on the nose except for Tao moves quicker. Baekhyun laughs the whole time and says it must have been tough. Tao publicly agrees, privately confirms it in his head, because that part is less of a joke, more a way of throwing off how cozily uncomfortable it is with Sehun so close. His friend’s ever increasing degree of skinship is slowly driving Tao insane, but he can’t find a way of asking Sehun to cut it out. He likes it, for one. He hopes Sehun does kind of too?

Baekhyun quizzes him a little while later when Sehun takes himself off to the bathroom. His roommate reclines in an armchair judging Tao’s expressions while Tao pretends that nothing is weird. 

“You guys are really close,” he says. 

Tao brushes him off. “And?”

Baekhyun has his lip caught between his teeth, smirking at something, at Tao most likely. 

“Is he always like that?”

“Like what?”

“Clingy,” says Baekhyun. 

Tao shrugs and doesn’t answer.

“I mean like, he’s all over you. It’s pretty cute, actually. Are you sure he isn’t—“

“He’s not gay,” Tao answers fast, almost under his breath. Like if he doesn’t say it too firmly, then maybe his words won’t be true.

“You sure about that?”

Again Tao just kind of shrugs, because he’s not sure Sehun isn’t straight, but now isn’t the time to discuss it. Not with Baekhyun’s sly little smiles, and Sehun in the other room. Tao’s never had ample opportunity even to notice if Sehun is like this with all his other male friends. All the guys they hang out with that Sehun is close to are all pretty much taken: Kai, Luhan, Yixing. Come to think about it, that makes Sehun the only straight male in their entire circle of friends (Baekhyun’s friends not counting) other than Kyungsoo who has now dated two different girls in the time Tao’s known him. But Sehun hasn’t dated anybody lately. He doesn’t even talk about girls anymore. He doesn't talk about guys either though. 

 

 

 

 

They go out sometimes, together as friends. Eat dinner and hang out, and wander about. Sometimes they see other couples out for a stroll or eating a romantic dinner, and jointly Tao and Sehun make fun of them, laughing over the cheesy, loving glances that are passed between couples. Behind their backs, they make guesses at how long sets of lovers have been together and how soon they’re likely to fall apart:  _Are they out on a first date?_ Or,  _That couple's never going to last. Look how he flirts with the waitress instead._

It’s all fun, all a game, and Tao really enjoys it. What they’re doing is just short of what all the other couples are doing. Only he swears they’re having more fun laughing and goofing off, and there’s no pressure to make good conversation or keep each other’s interest. Tao doesn’t have to dress up especially nice or fuss about what Sehun will think. The few times they do go somewhere nice, like to the opera or to a show every so often — Tao’s addicted to getting cheap, student tickets now that he has Sehun to produce student ID — they dress up together and laugh at how badly their outfits clash, or how Sehun still hasn’t figured out how to put on a tie. 

_Best friends_ , Tao thinks. And all this in just under a year. If that’s all Tao gets out of this, then he has no reason to complain. 

Baekhyun doesn’t mention it again either. Not after he first asks, not when Sehun comes back from the bathroom and crumples back on the couch close by Tao’s side. Not a few evenings later when they actually fall asleep together on the couch, heads on opposite arm rests, feet tangled up and one of Sehun’s toes poking at Tao’s ribcage. Baekhyun does of course make a sneaky joke about how Tao better not complain about  _him_  defiling the couch again, but he does it where Sehun can’t overhear him, and Tao is grateful. Sehun is a friend who doesn’t judge him, who seems to like hanging out with him, touching him, and Tao doesn’t want to ruin that by making Sehun self-conscious. 

 

 

 

 

They’re alone one day. Baekhyun decides he is too bored with their lame company, ruffles the hairs on Tao’s head and goes out to meet Chanyeol. Tao huffs as he tries to persuade his bangs to go back where they belong, and Sehun snickers at his annoyance.

There’s nothing to do, they’ve got nothing planned. Sehun picks out a movie that’s already on the TV and settles into the couch, his legs dangling off but his body leaning sideways. Tao, because this is nothing new either, lays against him and uses his shoulder as a pillow. It’s bony and not exactly comfortable, but he likes the proximity and Sehun’s never told him off yet. 

They chat off and on throughout the movie, more so during commercials, and eventually they’re not even watching it for the plot, so immersed are they in making fun of every special effect, scene or actor’s over-exaggerated expression. At some point Sehun shifts so that he’s more comfortable and Tao continues to lay across his hip. Sehun pulls out his arm and drapes it around the back of the couch. Later on it maneuvers almost naturally to Tao’s shoulder. Tao pretends that this isn’t some form of weird hug and cuddle session, even if his head is resting more against Sehun’s slightly upturned collar bones than where Tao previously started. Sehun’s legs end up on the couch; Tao’s predictably get entwined against them. 

It takes one particularly boring commercial where there’s nothing to even laugh at for Tao to realize just how intimate this position is. Trying not to panic, he glances upwards to see what Sehun thinks. He sees only the heavy gulp of Sehun’s Adam’s apple, and his friend looking down at Tao across the bridge of his nose.  Neither of them speak, but Tao’s breathing is becoming ever more shallow.

“Uhmm, I’m sorry,” Tao says suddenly, scrambling to sit up. He kicks Sehun’s legs off the couch so he can put his feet on the floor, scoots farther away and laughs, and he rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to lay all over you.”

“What? Oh uhm, that’s alright.” 

When Tao chances a glance, Sehun is sitting upright with his hands palming the caps of his knees a little too vigorously for someone who isn’t weirded out. Tao thinks he may have finally crossed over the line. He has a million things to apologize for, one of which is the fact of how it’s getting harder and harder to separate the line between friend and more-than-friend. How he may actually like Sehun but has no idea what would happen if he said that out loud. 

The commercial ends, their movie comes back on, and this time it’s less entertaining. Tao isn’t even watching it through the final scenes, and when it ends completely, Sehun leans forward to pick up the remote from off the floor. Tao expects him to change the channel or browse for other movies. Instead, he turns it off. Then he places the remote on the floor again and sits up very still. Tao braces himself for the worst.

“Tao…”

“Yeah? Hey, are you hungry?” He tries to lead him off.

“What? Uhm, a little bit maybe, but—“

“Good, because I’m starving. What do you want to eat?” Tao gets up and starts moving around the couch towards the fridge, as if there’s anything in there they can fix when he already knows there isn’t.

“Tao, wait.”

“Yeah, there’s nothing in here,” Tao responds more to himself, head bent over and he searches the shelves. “Maybe we should go out instead.”

“Tao— wait, what?”

Tao cringes when he realizes what he just said, eyes actually clamping shut as he swings the fridge door back into its sealed position. He breathes heavily and chances a glimpse behind himself. Sehun is twisting over the back of the couch to look at him, eyes wide and fixated upon him in an expression Tao has absolutely no idea how to translate. 

“Uhm,” Tao laughs, a little maniacally. “That wasn't what I meant say.” 

Fortunately Sehun doesn’t say anything right away, so Tao continues his survey of the kitchen including freezer, pantry, countertops, a few plastic grocery bags just in case there is something to snack on in the meantime, just so he won’t have to face his friend and pretend like he isn’t having something of a crisis. He continues laughing, making jokes about the lack of food and asking Sehun where he wants to go and what he’s hungry for. He physically jumps when Sehun stands right behind him and puts a hand to his shoulder.

“Tao?” Sehun sounds worried.

“Yeah?” It takes half a minute for him to settle down and stop playing with the door handle to the pantry which won’t properly latch. 

“Uhh, Tao, can we talk about something, please?”

Tao sighs, exhaling slowly as he prepares himself mentally for whatever Sehun has to say. “Sure,” he says. 

Probably Sehun is going to comment on how Tao is getting too weird around him. That he needs to either back off a little or start acting normal again, whatever the definition of  _normal_  actually is. Tao has no clue anymore. He turns around, folds his arms, and leans against the counter, feigning nonchalance. He absolutely isn’t staring covertly at Sehun’s lips as his friend tries and fails to formulate a sentence. Nor is he thinking about the many ways they’ve been stuck together like glue, and not once has Tao actually touched Sehun’s lips with any part of his body. Not with his fingers, nor with his lips, not his tongue. Maybe once accidentally during an awkward elbow-to-the-face moment, but that’s it. 

Even if he doesn’t show it, Tao’s mind is racing. And for this reason he doesn’t predict what Sehun finally has to say. 

“Tao, I think I like you.”

Sehun’s words don’t even compute. Tao hears them, sees his lips moving, but doesn’t react. He only refolds his arms a different way, tries to understand, and then looks up. He sees Sehun, worried about something, about what he just said. He’s never seen Sehun look this upset about something that’s not also part of a joke, another facet of his humorous, whiny self. Now though he is genuinely worried, and finally something clicks.

“What?” Tao repeats blankly. “You… what?”

“I…” Sehun whispers. “Oh, you heard me.” His jaw hangs open heavily, hand brushing through his scalp and he turns his head away, looking for all the world like he’s the one being burned. 

“You, like me?”

“Yeah. Think so.”

“What do you mean you think so?” The answer to this is very important to Tao. It has nothing to do with putting Sehun off, everything to do with Tao’s immediate need of clarification. His friend, his  _straight_  friend, his straight friend who Tao  _really likes_ , maybe just confessed to him. 

“I think…I mean, I like you. Why is… What’s the problem with how I say it? What do  _you_  think, because…”

It’s Sehun’s turn to have a minor freak out, and Tao has no idea what to do. He can’t take him in his arms because that would be weird. He can’t kiss him because, also weird. He settles for grabbing Sehun by the shoulders, arms’ width apart, and looking at him, inquiring. 

“You like me?”

He barely hears his friend’s confirmation as Sehun shyly meets his eyes. “Yes.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know exactly. Maybe a while. I… I was afraid to tell you.”

“Why were you afraid to tell me?” Tao almost pants, and he sees Sehun beginning to close up, trying to move back beyond Tao’s grasp. “Sehun? Hey, it’s okay. Don’t freak out. You can tell me, because I… I like you too, okay?”

Easier said than done, as it turns out. Sehun starts to sweat; Tao sees him actually shivering and there are goosebumps on his arms as each tries to understand what the other has said.

“You do?” Sehun asks.

“Yeah,” says Tao, licking his own lips and staring frantically at every part of Sehun’s face, looking for any lie. 

“I thought… it would be weird because… after all this time, if I just came out and said it, maybe you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Why wouldn’t I believe you?” Tao loosens his grip on Sehun’s shoulders now that he knows the other isn’t going to try to run away.

“Because, I’ve never… I’m not—or at least I wasn’t  _gay_ —and I thought it would be weird if all of a sudden I just said that. I mean, would you think I was only trying to flatter you, or make a joke? Is there a switch that turns on, and how did I miss it? I wasn’t even sure for a long time, but I’m absolutely positive that I’m… attracted to you. And I don’t know what to do about that.”

Tao knows what he wants to do about that: date Sehun, just like he’s been fantasizing about for months. 

“Also,” Sehun continues on, like Tao isn’t suddenly amazingly happy. “I mean, what if you didn’t like me like that, and all of a sudden I told you I thought I was attracted to you. You, you have a lot of guy friends, gay friends, and you don’t date any of them. Why, why would I be different?”

“Different?” Tao chokes incredulously. “You think you  _aren’t_  different? But you are. Sehun, you are, and you have no idea—damn, why are you telling me this only now?! I thought I was the only one who’s been trying to hide how I feel and now…” he smiles wide, still almost not believing this whole situation is real, actually real. 

The only thing that matters is Sehun looking like he’s about to melt. All the strain on his face, every worry, it’s turning into something else right in front of Tao’s eyes. Mirrored disbelief and excitement and happiness. Tao moves his hands from Sehun’s shoulders and slides them slowly upwards, cupping his cheeks. He’s about to ask if something is okay when Sehun beats him to it.

“Can I… Can I kiss you, please?” Sehun whispers, held as he is in between Tao’s hands.

Tao huffs. “Of course.”  Then he pulls them together, slowly, preciously. Sehun’s hands brush lightly against his hips like he doesn’t know where else to put them. Tao doesn’t worry about that yet though. He closes his eyes even if Sehun doesn’t and kisses him lightly. Lips to lips and it’s about the chastest thing he’s ever done since the last time he kissed his mother. 

Sehun gasps, but Tao doesn’t force anything further. Not even if his friend’s open mouth presents such a huge temptation. He flutters his eyelids open, softly laughs into Sehun’s face. “Nothing different about lips, Sehun. It’s okay. You can  _kiss me back_ ,” he whispers, and then they try again.


	2. Bonus #2 Kaibaek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus #2 Kaibaek | Rated: Nc-17

_6 YEARS BEYOND SPOTLIGHTS_

 

The apartment is mostly dark when Kai returns home. It’s late and he’s exhausted. There’s just one dim light on in the corner of the room. Supposedly Baekhyun was supposed to be in charge of dinner tonight—it’s a convenient trade-off for Kai’s working man schedule since the dance company has given all its members a few days rest. Or at least it would be convenient if there was dinner waiting. Kai doesn’t smell food though. He grumbles to himself; usually it’s him who does dinner since his teacher’s hours are more regular than Baekhyun’s dancer’s schedule. Baekhyun probably forgot all about it. He’s probably passed out on a couch somewhere enjoying his vacation a little too much.

Kai drops his shoes at the door, throws his jacket over a pile of junk on a chair, leaves his tie there too. He’ll put them away later, maybe. He untucks his shirt and leaves it that way. Turns on a lamp by the couch and looks around. No sign of Baekhyun in this part of the apartment, but he does hear a shuffling coming from down the hall.

He flips another lamp and turns around in time to see a sleepy Baekhyun come puttering out of their bedroom, hair ruffled, a hand rubbing his sleepy eyes, wearing an extra large T-shirt that covers his butt, and slippers. 

“Kai??” Baekhyun yawns. “Oh you’re back finally.” 

“Yup. I’m home. I had a staff meeting tonight, remember?” Kai smirks, not even mad that Baekhyun’s apparently forgotten he’s the supposed-to-be-chef of the night. The pale swath of slightly sheet-creased skin from thighs to ankles are consolation enough. “Did you sleep  _all_ day?”

“Not all day,” Baekhyun protests. “Part of the day I laid around thinking about you.”

Kai scoffs. Trust Baekhyun to turn a simple question into something dirty. 

Baekhyun slinks forward and wraps his arms around Kai’s middle, yawning as he turns cuddly and Kai doesn’t bother trying to push him away. Baekhyun turns into a koala bear when pressed, and he’s absolutely impossible to shift. He pulls him in and hugs him, finds a bare knee soon knocking against his own.

“I missed you today,” Baekhyun moans into his chest. 

“It’s only been since this morning—“

“No, I mean I  _really_  missed you…” Baekhyun’s hips rotate and now Kai feels what he’s about. Baekhyun’s got nothing on underneath that T-shirt except a semi-hard cock and he’s not embarrassed about letting Kai know it. “I’ve been waiting for you all day.” His voice turns sultry.

“H-have you?” Kai’s own voice shakes when Baekhyun starts mouthing around the exposed skin of his neck, fingers pulling at the buttons of his shirt. It takes a while, but then it’s off and over his shoulders, hitting the ground just as Baekhyun attacks his lips. Slowly, Baekhyun maneuvers him around, as if Kai isn’t the taller one. Baekhyun’s lean bodies hides so much muscle, and he definitely knows how to use it. 

They stop when the backs of Kai’s calves broach the bottom of the couch, and Baekhyun steps back with a mischievous grin. Kai almost can’t believe that seconds earlier Baekhyun was a tired, sleepy mess, but he supposes it shouldn't come as a surprise. Nothing wakes Baekhyun up more than the prospect of sex, and Kai has had plenty of years to learn this.

He steps back a half foot, long fingers grazing the front of Kai’s bare chest from collar bones to nipples—where they stray for a moment too long—then down across Kai’s mostly flat stomach. 

“Still looking okay,” he teases with a wry smile.

“Just okay?” Kai confirms. It’s no secret he’s lost most of that hot dancer body he had when he was younger, even though he’s still fit. There’s something though about the way his twenty-five-year-old tummy paunches just a  _tad little bit_ that gives Baekhyun a power rush. 

“Well, I always liked squishy things,” says Baekhyun. And he smacks Kai on the stomach. “Sit,” he instructs. Kai cringes but complies, dropping onto a couch that unfortunately has seen much. 

“Damn I love this couch.” Baekhyun crawls over his clothed lap. “Perfect depth for my knees. Perfect height to hold onto.” With one hand he grips the back; the other hand lifts his shirt just partially. Kai gets one beautiful glimpse of his length standing high. He moans, bites his lower lip and tries to reach for his hips, but Baekhyun drops his shirt almost instantly. He always was a tease.

“I see you put a new comforter over it,” Kai remarks, still about the couch. 

“Plausible deniability. You know, in case Tao comes over for a visit.”

Kai laughs. He’s still trying to get his hands around Baekhyun’s waist but the other keeps shifting elusively on his lap. “You know Tao wouldn’t sit on this thing to save his life.” This used to be Tao’s couch. Until he tried to drag it off to the dump several years ago and Baekhyun threw a fit, practically demanded it for  _memories’ sake_. 

“Remember the first time we sat like this,” Baekhyun whispers. With his free hand he paws at Kai’s crotch while Kai tries not to buck into it. He senses Baekhyun wants to drag this out, so he better start using some control otherwise his pants will be ruined. 

“Yeah?” 

Baekhyun sinks lower, moans ever so slightly and even though Kai can’t see it, he can feel the underside of Baekhyun resting on his crotch as Baekhyun teases himself more than anything else. 

“Fuck,” he whispers, sitting down completely and planting one soft kiss on Kai’s lips. His eyes are closed. “Do you remember? You’d never been touched before. But you pulled me on your lap. Kind of like this…” He rocks his hips very slowly; Kai starts to sweat.  “And then we kissed… kind of like this… So impossibly close, and so  _very, very hot._ ”

“Have you been thinking about recreating this all day?” Kai interrupts.

“Shut up. I’m being sexy.” 

“You have, haven’t you?” Kai finally dodges all of Baekhyun’s boney hands and elbows, sinks his hands through the T-shirt around his waist and drags Baekhyun closer. “Did you even put on any other clothes today?” Now it’s his turn to smirk and he demands Baekhyun’s lips. Through sloppy kisses Baekhyun protests but he wasn’t expecting the sudden interrogation, nor was he expecting to be manhandled when he clearly thought he was in control here. He slumps over, both hands braced against the back of the couch and he whines.

Kai slips one arm around the small of his back, and the other stretches around to fondle Baekhyun’s ass. He slinks a few fingers between the divide, probes tentatively, and immediately freezes and startles when his fingers find a warm and wet substance down there. He breaks their kiss immediately. “Did you already prep yourself?!” 

“Well, yeah!” Baekhyun moans. “I told you I’ve been thinking about you—“

“Shit, Baekhyun, you’re getting lube all over my pants!” 

“Well then take them off!” 

It’s a simple enough answer, but Kai hadn’t really wanted to do laundry so soon, and he was planning on wearing these slacks tomorrow to work. So much for that idea. He quickly urges Baekhyun to sit up on his knees, pushing him up by his cheeks and Baekhyun protests but complies. Kai then fumbles with his zipper and completely fails because two sets of hands in such a small area don’t make this task any easier. “What are you…” he flails.

“I’m trying to help,” says Baekhyun, who is starting to get exasperated.

“Let me,” Kai demands. “You were never good with zippers. It’s a good thing you’re gay. You’d be such a failure at getting bras off.”

“Hey, I’m not so old I couldn’t learn new tricks. You better watch yourself!” Baekhyun teases.

“Yeah? Well it’s been six years and you still can’t figure out how to get me out of my pants, so I don’t have much hopes for your skills ever improving.”

“That’s because I’m so much better enticing you to do the work for me.”

Kai groans, namely because Baekhyun kills him every time and every day, and also because he’s finally got his zipper undone and his pants are finally sliding down his thighs as he lifts his hips into the air, boxers going as well. 

Baekhyun sinks onto his lap as soon as they’re gone and both of them moan wildly at the first touch of flesh against flesh. Only Baekhyun’s old, ruddy shirt blocks the way now and Kai is quick to strip him of it. And then they’re kissing again, just for a moment.

“So back to reminiscing…” Baekhyun says, once again with sultry whisper. He molds his knees closely to the sides of Kai’s hips so that there's barely any room them except for their trapped cocks. 

“Mhhph… what about it?” Kai replies. He figures it's a better alternative than, ‘So what, and can we get on with this, please?’ It's a good thing Baekhyun can't really tell his thoughts.

“Well, I think I was sitting like this…” Baekhyun curves his upper body back to make a space between their chests, then runs a hand along Kai’s torso, teasing it downwards. “And then I said, ‘Will you let me do something?’”

Kai groans. He presses his back hard into the couch and upturns his head, begging the ceiling for a moment so that he can keep some semblance of composure before tilting his head down again. He’s just in time to see Baekhyun’s hand sneaking between their bodies, and instead of it fitting down the tight front end of his jeans, like it had been back then, it comes across no such restrictions. Baekhyun’s soft hands are this time free to wrap around his length, and even though both are there for the taking, Baekhyun ignores himself for the time being. 

It’s so unfair because Baekhyun knows by now that Kai has a hand fetish, and not just for any hands, but for Baekhyun’s hands. Especially now that he knows what those hands can do.

“You remember, right?” Baekhyun whispers into his ear. “How you almost freaked out? How you whimpered so loudly…?”

Kai whines now, because of course he still remembers. 

“You were so cute,” Baekhyun continues, stroking softly, lightly and evenly.

“And I remember you weren’t quite as patient,” Kai grunts.

Baekhyun almost drops the act, laughing a little while he says, “Will you shut up and let me pretend I was super cool back then, Kai, please?”

“You actually thought you were cool? Hah.”

For punishment Baekhyun squeezes him extra tightly around the base and stops moving his hand. He huffs, saying, “It was the first time I’d touched your dick! How was I supposed to be cool? I was freaking out myself then, okay?” 

Kai clamps down on his jaw, smirking while he tries not to move his hips and give his boyfriend the satisfaction. Two can play this game, for about five seconds. Then Kai gives up and grins cutely and Baekhyun smothers his lips again with his own, chuckles lingering within their heavy breaths when he starts to stroke again. He leaves just enough space between their stomachs but this time takes both of their cocks in hand. And this time Kai does buck into his grip because of the pressure and feel of Baekhyun’s silky length on his own. 

“Are we sticking with just recreation tonight?” Kai interrupts when he comes up for air. “Or are you actually going to ride me like you seem to be promising here?” Just in case Baekhyun has forgotten, Kai runs a single middle finger down the cleft of his ass and hovers just outside the rim of his already slicked entrance. 

Baekhyun pulls away pouting, ass trying to clench around nothing. 

“Well I was going to prolong my fondest memories of you being super hot—”

“Are you saying I’m  _not_ still super hot?”

“I—Well of course you are! Sometimes. When you’re not all dressed up like a middle-aged man,” Baekhyun teases, all smiles and innocence like he’s not trying to sit back against Kai’s finger the entire time he's speaking. Kai smirks again and retracts his hand every time Baekhyun gets close to spearing himself. 

“Careful how you insult my suits now, Baek.” He kisses him in between threats. “You’re the one who’s been waiting all day for this. I could happily get up now and go grade some papers.”

“Liar.” Baekhyun is unfazed and knowing, his hand still around their cocks, and he’s got an up close and personal view of Kai’s neck and forehead which are starting to sweat from the heat and pent-up tension.

“Fine, call me a liar, but if you call me unsexy one more time I’m getting up off of this couch.” 

The couch is one of Baekhyun’s favorite places in all existence, so there’s no finer threat. Kai stares at him intently while the other wrestles with indecision, laughing when Baekhyun’s mock-fury finally gives over to plain amusement and want. 

“Fine. I think we’ve got ourselves a deal.” Baekhyun sits up again on his knees, rushing faster than Kai had expected when he tries to align himself against Kai’s hard and much-too-dry cock.

“Woah, wait!” Kai pants.

“Hmmhgghh?” 

“Where’s the lube? I’m going to need more than this.”  _This_ being glossy substance he’s extracted from Baekhyun’s ass, because it’s still not as much as he likes. 

“What? Oh.” Baekhyun stills. “It’s uh… uhm, where did I leave it?”

“You don’t know where you left the bottle of lube?” Kai deadpans. “You just used it...”

“I know! It’s… hang on, I think it’s in our bedroom.” 

Baekhyun accidentally mashes Kai’s thighs and shoulders a little heavily as he crawls off his lap, suddenly in a terrible rush to get to the next best part of sex. Kai frowns and tries to console himself by shamelessly ogling Baekhyun’s rear end as he dashes around the couch and down the hall. His footsteps patter all the way to the end, a short cry of  _Ouch!_  echoing back when Baekhyun apparently runs into the door frame. He can barely make out the sounds of rustling in the bedroom, and then his boyfriend cursing. 

“It’s not here… Wait! I left it in the bathroom, that’s right!”

More footsteps patter back up the hall accompanied by even more sounds of frustration as Baekhyun flicks on the light and starts grabbing at bottles on the counter. Kai just sighs and stares down at his flagging length, not even bothering to touch himself. He tosses his head back along the couch back and shouts, “Would you hurry up?! There’s nothing quite as  _un_ sexy as you running around for a bottle of lube! I thought you had this all planned out!?”

“I’m coming! Sheesh, you won’t deflate so quickly. Just wait a sec!” Baekhyun retorts. Several crashes and another curse word indicate Baekhyun’s found the bottle but knocked off several more bathroom products onto the floor. Kai grins, not even minding the inevitable mess he'll have to clean up later. What's a small a mess when Baekhyun is finally prancing back into the room, cock swinging from side to side, a look of triumph upon his face and the lube in his hand. 

“Anything else I can get for you, princess?” Baekhyun teases, his words belying his need to upend the bottle and immediately coat Kai’s rock hard length. 

“Thanks, babe, but I think I’m pretty much good here.” He grabs Baekhyun's cock to reciprocate the favor of his boyfriend's renewed stroking, testing the waters to see how much more teasing Baekhyun can handle after being  _ready and waiting for this all day long_.

It probably won’t take long, is what Kai thinks as Baekhyun sinks down on his cock pushing past the first line of resistance. He moans and falls against Kai’s chest while he gets used to the stretch, fingers clutching lengthily atop his shoulders, thumbs pressing right against his neck. Kai supports him around the waist, just until he settles. Then it’s a free for all as Baekhyun rises and drops and Kai tries to match him, both starting off slowly as they build up the pace.

“Hold on, you’re going too fast,” Baekhyun complains, trying to hold still as they play with the rhythm. 

“You’re the one being impatient,” Kai returns, clenching his teeth. He doesn’t need to tell Baekhyun how good he feels around him, how sexy he actually is when his need overtakes everything else, even his desire to look cool. There’s nothing cool at the end of the day when drive and want take over. It’s all fuss and hands and rubbing and breathing, or lack of breathing. Baekhyun doesn’t even try to defend himself this time. His lips are all over Kai’s, as much as can be possible with the way each of them are thrusting. Sometimes there is only one way to keep Baekhyun quiet, and that is by occupying his lips. Even so, he whimpers against Kai at every particularly hard upward thrust, a sound that goes straight to Kai's cock and goads him on.

“Baby, baby, I’m almost—“

“Already?” Kai whispers back, this time without taunt. He takes care to cradle Baekhyun completely against him when the man’s energy starts to waver, right hand pushing him close on the small of his back, left hand lifting him by the ass cheek to give Kai’s hips room enough to maneuver. Baekhyun’s head ends up completely nestled around his neck, body arched so he can get one hand between them and on himself. 

“Yeah… please… Kai. Love you so much!” he gasps.

He almost gives up moving, leaving Kai to do most of the work. All of Baekhyun’s energies seem to be spent as he concentrates only on keeping himself upright, stroking himself, and nuzzling Kai’s neck all the while he whispers and whines, beginning to shiver. 

It would be easier to move him, to lay him down instead, but Kai likes him like this, body boneless and absolutely striving for his release. He slides down the couch another few inches to hoist Baekhyun on top of him further and then holds his cheeks apart this time with two hands. Baekhyun cries out, hand and cock now squished between their bellies. 

“Please, please,” he continues to beg, and so Kai gives it to him hard and fast. “Uggngh!” Baekhyun yells, but then Kai slips out too far and from the angle he struggles to realign. “Put it back, put it back!”

“I’m trying! This is hard, okay!” 

Baekhyun immediately scrambles off of him in favor of crawling onto the couch on his hands and knees, and Kai needs no further invitation. Thrusting now against his back takes a lot less precision. He spots one foot on the floor, the other kneeing into the cushions and he crushes Baekhyun against the back of the sofa where he buries his face into his arm on the protective comforter blanket. He comes barely half a minute later, body freezing up from the pleasure, although Kai gives him no time to rest. The way his ass clamps down around Kai's cock puts him nearly over the edge himself. He pulls out, flips Baekhyun around so that he lands on the couch on his butt, face still blissed-out and a little confused.

This time Kai hovers over him with both knees on the cushions, one hand on the back as he arches concave above him, stroking himself through completion so that it lands on Baekhyun's chest. His finally give out as he collapses on top of his boyfriend, each panting heavily, and Baekhyun immediately wraps his arms around his back to hold him close. 

“Okay—you know—what?” Baekhyun is still gasping for breath, kissing the part of his collar bone and shoulder he can reach. 

“Huh,” Kai whimpers with some effort.

The only sound in the room is them breathing, and probably his heartbeat. 

“Uhhh,” says Baekhyun, grunting when Kai tries to shift on his lap and their spent organs rub against each other. “Uh, I forgot.”

Kai slaps him on the shoulder. “No you didn’t. What were you going to say?”

Baekhyun chuckles. “Well, I was going to say you still look damn sexy like this, but now that you’ve hit me, I retract my statement.”

“You can’t retract sexiness,” Kai grumbles.

“What, is there a law that says such?”

“Of course there is.”

Baekhyun continues to laugh, then he tugs on Kai’s waist a little to force him to sit back. “Quit pouting. I won’t retract it after all, especially if you’re just going to look at me like that.”

“Like what?” Kai suddenly feels every bit of the tiredness he’d temporarily set aside, when Baekhyun walked out of their room half naked and ready for a round.

“Like you love me very much but you’re probably hungry and want to sleep and then, I don’t know, you'll go grade papers or something.  _Sexily_ ,” he amends with a smirk.

“You know me very well,” Kai agrees. 

“Of course I do. You’re mine and I know everything about you.” Baekhyun slaps him on the ass once, the other hand further pleading with him to get off. “Now go take a shower or something. I think I owe you dinner at least.”

“Oh good, you remembered.”

Baekhyun just smiles and his eyes twinkle, and Kai could probably go without food for a little longer but then—oh, actually he can’t. Food is important. 

“Make me something to eat in five minutes—I don’t care if it’s just a sandwich—otherwise I’m dragging this couch to the dump!”

“ _Eep!_ ” Baekhyun squeaks. 

Sometimes, Baekhyun is so easy to manipulate.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a snippet of their lives for you, with a throwback to some of their first 'times' together. I really wanted to write it from this angle instead of inserting scenes back from the actual storyline. Gives you a chance to see where they are in life. For clarification, Baekhyun is still dancing and Kai has now finished his degree in Bilingual Education and is teaching.. somewhere. Hey, I don't care so much about the specifics right now. :) 
> 
> I think I will write Xiuhan next, and it will also be similar as far as timelines go. Hooray! Who's ready for Xiuhan again? *raises both hands*


End file.
